52 ON AND OFF THE AVENUE A STITCH IN TIME 7 W HEN the or- der rationing shoes burst upon a dazed but cheerful public early this spring, it immediate- ly became apparent that even the small- est apartment, with the most limited closet space, had been unable to suppress the squirrel instinct in women. Startled shoe men found dumped before them mountains of motley footgear that had been stored away for the future-you know, shoes that might come in handy someday. Three-quarters of this massive assortment was shoddy, and conscien- tious repairmen would have none of it. Panic repairing, in which expensive and expert workmanship is thrown away on bad material, is as poor economy as panic buying, and all reputable shoe men have firmly discouraged it. However, the shoes that were sal- vaged so completely that they emerged fresh and up-to-date proved to be such a delight to women that they began bur- rowing into closets and bureau drawers for other wardrobe items that had heen on strike or, at best, work- ing only part time be- cause something about them was Not Quite Right. The miracles that are being per- formed on these things by various wizards around town (who in a moment shall not be nameless) have had a tonic effect on ladies who until recently were the most extrava- gant and careless buy- ers on earth. They are discovering, so help me, the thrift and common sense of their grand- mothers, and they're actually enjoying it. (& /' --" F URS, the most ex- pensive item in a woman's wardrobe (and, when worn or outmoded, the most dif- ficult to do anything about), are perhaps the No 1 item on your re- pair list, assuming that you have one. Spe- cialists like Jaeckel and Gunther and the fur :'",,1' , :,:::':... :,,,,,,," ," . 0( .,:, -0.."..<::.::. *'1;; ,.(":, ".::,..}(:" , ; :r;t} 'Î ,,::;: , {{ :Æ I : J m mn,' ',', ,; ii <( I ;: .,: departments of shops like Saks- Fifth A venue, Jay Thorpe, and Bergdorf Goodman are resourceful as well as ex- pert at reconditioning everything worth sa ving, from little two- or three-skin scarfs to an aging mink coat. To be specific, Gunther is particu- larly proud of the way it restores mink. A classic mink coat, faded by sun and put out of sorts by years of servitude, can be .made like new, if no fur has to be added, for $15 O. Gunther is also clever about converting old coats into jackets or capes that have real grace. If a coat of small furs, such as mink or sable, has taken too hard a beating to be eligible for conversion into even a short cape, Gunther can still find enough good skins to transform your dowdy outcast into a little three- or four-skin scarf for around $95. Jay Thorpe reblocks and restores small furs beautifully. One pet dodge is to take the good skins of an old mink coat and make them into a stole, with the skins braided about the neck and : :.:::;: :::::::::::...:.:;:;:;:;: f. : :;: :t i .. .. ,ß A"': .0{ j.. ,ji /'>$ :;. "'-qo" ,:' :: -:::;:: ,:;'5-:::: __ : : ' <<0(( , .. I' '.:: ":" "(;;:t:: ", "t" '';,;':';''. ',' . ":.}: , ',>,,,,::,,,;;;:{ t, ' ,', -- ,'.... j " þ" :" uU' ,.,.,__ ... :": ; , :,:'i"j ::;::1j '::.' "': " ..... ):::1 > :' . <<, ':: :': , . :: ,,,',', Wi ',"' ,.." : p : '" ,{:::::/::::::".,.,. ,',' ".,.' jf' i ,;::;:K :;;:::;:,:;$"": J ,j:':l d ::>,;;: ::"..f.,: i@ ending in flat, Ascot tabs. This job costs about $ 7 5, which is also the price for remaking a pair of foxes into a stole that would delight the eye of anyone, even a fox. Beaver, broadtail, and Persian coats that have seen better days see them again after being converted into col- larless mandarin coats with wide, sou- tache binding. Saks-Fifth A venue will restyle old coats, using the models in their custom salon, at prices that range from about $175 up for Persian lamb to $400 up for mink. What you get for that price is the equivalent of a brand-new coat. Like many other places, Saks uses the Hollanderizing cleaning process, which polishes your furs to a fine lustre. Saks urges you to have even fur-trimmed coats cleaned by this method in order to escape the fading that you risk when you rely on any old dry cleaner. Cloth coats cleaned this way cost from $ 5 up; minks from $12.50. Though Jaeckel is sternly practical about first-class remodelling of fine "",:,,:it! (f <=. :' " .,..;,#è w. :',,':' î " r"r · JtÞ "Have you a wine that would be at home wzth an omelet?"